There is a huge disparity between professional golfers and amateur golfers. Of course those who play the game for a living, by necessity, practice more often and have better equipment than the average weekend hacker. Professionals employ swing coaches, sports psychologists, fitness and nutritional experts and the list could go on depending on the seriousness of the professional and how deep his/her pockets run.
I’ve been to a few professional tournaments and noticed immediately that there is a huge difference in how the professionals hit the ball versus those of us who play for funzies. The sound of the club making contact with the ball, the flight of the ball and most of all the distance by which the ball travels are uniquely different. So different in fact that it is almost seems as if we are playing a different game altogether.
Being a teacher by nature, when I play with other golfers who are struggling with their game, I invariably try to offer some piece of advice that would free them up from what is known as the paralysis of analysis. Golf can be hugely enjoyable if you’re playing anywhere close to your expectations. Who doesn’t want to be outdoors, basking in the sun on a perfectly groomed landscape of grass, flowers, trees, ponds and white sand? However, if you’re not playing up to your fantasy of hopeful expectation, not considering you haven’t practiced or even played in quite some time, golf can be very frustrating and aggravating.
The first bit of advice that I usually offer the troubled golfer is conceptual and not instructional. You see, the professional is not focused on ‘hitting the ball’. In golf, the ball either sits on a tee or rests on the ground. The ball is not moving when you strike it and therefore shouldn’t be the focus of one’s attention. No, the accomplished golfer knows that a great shot is the product of a good swing. While most duffers are trying to ‘hit the ball’, the professional golfer has learned to swing the club with the ball just getting in the way of a great swing.
Unfortunately, I meet a lot of Christians with the same problem. They are trying to live the Christ life, their focus is on themselves and not Christ and therefore, they are constantly searching for their errant ball in the woods of life. Remember, Christ in you is the hope of glory!!! Yahweh did not give you the greatest gift possible for you to ignore the gift and try to do it on your own. I marvel at Christians who give up in absolute frustration and remark that the Christ life doesn’t work. No, you are simply approaching the Kingdom differently than it was designed.
Yahweh has imparted to you, through Christ, His divine nature and divinely empowered you by His Spirit to win! You don’t need new equipment, more instructional videos or different playing partners. You just need to find out who you are in Christ-the unique you that is one of a kind and just let life get in the way of your new swing!